On Oct. 6, the company formerly known as EVAI announced a rebrand to Vehicle Management Systems (VMS) and the addition of two new executives: David Prusinski now shares the CEO position with founder Ian Gardner and Muffi Ghadiali has joined as a strategic advisor.

The moves signal a new era for VMS as well as its dealer partners. The Jackson, Wyo.-based company, once focused on delivering AI-driven technology and data solutions to electrified fleets, has broadened its scope to include all powertrains.

Prusinski believes agentic AI presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to dealers who have established fleet departments as well as those who may be missing out on the reliable sales, F&I and service revenue a strong commercial client base provides.

“Every single dealer out there works with fleets, whether they know it or not,” Prusinski tells AI Dealer News. “That white panel van or 3500 pickup coming in for service, there’s a very good chance that’s a fleet vehicle.”

Democratizing Fleet Service

Prior to joining VMS, Prusinski completed a nearly four-year stint at Ford Motor Co. as chief revenue officer for Ford Integrated Services. He overlapped with Ghadiali, who was head of the charging team for Ford Pro (formerly Ford Fleet).

Prusinski — whose diverse career includes leadership roles with Fleet Complete and, further back, BlackBerry — credits Ford and its competitors with helping drive fleet management forward by providing enterprise-grade tools and resources built on decades of know-how and millions in research and development.

“For a fleet vehicle to be off the road is incredibly expensive. You’re burning up to $1,500 a day,” Prusinski says, noting factory-provided platforms have, to this point, given franchised dealers a distinct advantage. “That puts pressure on the rest of the market. An unaffiliated dealer or repair shop may offer the same services, but they don’t have the tools the OEMs give to their dealerships.”

Toward the end of his Ford tenure, Prusinski began to envision an AI-based platform that franchised and independent dealers could use to help their commercial clients keep their vehicles in service by sending maintenance reminders and flagging mechanical issues, starting with but not limited to DTC codes.

Research and conversations with colleagues and investors led him to VMS.

“Everyone said, ‘Absolutely, Dave, go do it,’” Prusinski says. “They saw how agentic AI would change the industry.”

Bring That Vehicle In

A dealer could do all the work of a virtual fleet management platform with a connected car component, Prusinski says. But it would be time- and resource-intensive, to say the least: Create spreadsheets, make phone calls and send emails to keep every vehicle on its maintenance schedule. Set appointments while minimizing downtime. Maybe do the occasional drop-in to ensure no codes are being ignored.

Manageable, yes, for one or two commercial clients, Prusinski says. But difficult to scale.

“Agentic AI just sits and runs. It says, ‘I know that code and can deduce the issue. I can order the parts and have them ready. I know whether to wait for the next scheduled appointment or reach out to ask the customer to bring the vehicle in.’”

AI can also “triage” issues, Prusinski adds, giving fleet managers the option to keep a vehicle in service for a few more days if, for example, a clogged air filter will affect fuel economy but won’t crack the engine block. It’s a level of service that can keep new commercial vehicle buyers in the fold once their warranties expire and attract those who are looking for a true fleet partner.

“AI gives you the opportunity to create an always-on relationship with every fleet,” he says. “You can differentiate yourself as a dealer and keep those vehicles rolling in for the long term.”

Tariq Kamal is the publisher of AI Dealer News, Auto Dealer News and Dealer Agent News.